


i will be waiting.

by karatedevil



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Other, daniel secretly listens to time after time before he goes to bed because it reminds him of johnny, projecting onto johnny yet again, sentimental mf, this is modern Lawrusso but they still dress like idiots from the 80s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29173248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karatedevil/pseuds/karatedevil
Summary: Johnny and Daniel hang out after a tough night, and Johnny decides he's going to give his boyfriend an early birthday present.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	i will be waiting.

"Hey, did they ever get back to you about the phone screen?" Daniel asks, prompting a glare from Johnny, who hasn't forgotten the circumstances in which said phone screen was shattered. 

"Yeah, no thanks to you. Said something about how they'll just get me a new one with insurance but like, how hard is it to fix a screen?" Johnny gestures with his hands, settles, and then crosses his arms. He's antsy, and Daniel stole his hoodie, so he can't fiddle with the strings. 

"I'm sorry." The idiot wearing his hoodie doesn't look sorry at all. Actually, his mouth forms into a smirk. "Guess I did slam it pretty hard. I was drunk, though, and that is completely on you." A small bit of nausea hits Johnny when Daniel says it, and he shudders at the memory of last night.

He's never eating mini tacos again. Or drinking beer that tastes like straight dirt again, for that matter; it was a bad decision on his part.

"Shut up — you were the one that got jealous," He narrows his eyes, moving to tower over Daniel, who looks so small in the moment. If he wasn't so obsessed with him, maybe Johnny would kick his teeth in, just to assert dominance. But he doesn't need to. "It would be cute if it weren't so damn annoying." Then, he moves to pull Daniel closer to him. "You know that I like you."

The smaller boy's face reddens, like a tomato, and he scoffs. He pushes Johnny away, not threateningly but more of a 'Get any closer and I'll kiss you,' and Johnny doesn't see the problem with it; except for the fact Daniel is still coming to terms with ... whatever this is. He'd dated three different girls before. Girls.

Daniel just didn't know how to accept it. It was 2019, and they were 17. His mother didn't care about his sexuality. Didn't even blink. Nobody else batted an eye, either, but Johnny still understands. The first time Sid caught him kissing a boy, he'd gotten a black eye and a harsh resentment.

It isn't any easier to accept.

It was frustrating when he shut Johnny out but the blonde teenager, who could be considered emotionally unavailable, had a worse track record with that kind of thing. He had punched Daniel the first time he realized he was in love with him. 

And he was drunk that time, too. Dickhead move, but somehow, some fucking way, Daniel understood it, and forgave him for his mistakes. Did he forget them? No. But any words spoken about it were lighthearted.

Usually.

Their arguments weren't too pretty. Never physical, but uh. Words can be worse than that, sometimes. And Johnny only knew fighting words.

He knew how to cut right through people; both ways.

It took Daniel a long time to get past the hard exterior of Johnny Lawrence, and into the good parts of him, the ones that proved worthy of sticking around for.

"Hey," He looks down to see doe eyes, all pretty and bright. They stare him down. "What're you thinking about? You got some kind of fucked up fantasy going on?" Daniel jokes, trying to lighten the mood because he thinks maybe he hurt Johnny with the way he'd rejected his touch.

"No, you little weirdo; just thinking about how we got here, that's all." Johnny pauses, and then he moves away, towards the Avanti. Daniel very quickly looks like a deer caught in head lights, confusion and concern showing on his face. "Wait, Johnny—where you goin'—" 

He chuckles at his confused expression, before opening his car door, "Quit freaking out, you big baby. I'm only grabbing something." Johnny leans over, reaches into his backseat and, thank fucking god, it's still here.

His mother's walkman. He lights up at the sight of it. Last night he had put it into the car for safe keeping, but drunk him was.. unreliable.

Daniel groans, frustration quickly welling up. "What're you doing, now?" He's so impatient.

Johnny stays silent, shutting the door back gently as he moves away from it, the walkman sitting proudly in his palm. "I made you a mixtape. Stupid, and cheesy, I know. But your birthday's coming up soon," Daniel rolls his eyes and then his eyebrows are raising because wow, he actually remembers? Who would've thought? "I didn't wanna buy you anything 'cause I had no idea what to get, and it felt too material like."

The dumbass actually smiles at him once he says that, the signature Daniel Larusso smile that knocks the breath out of him every time, makes him want to kiss Daniel so bad he looks stupid, and he glances away, back to his walkman.

Regaining his composure, he sighs, presses play, and hands it to Daniel, slowly, softly. And then he's putting his headphones into his ears, and Johnny swears to god it's the most focused he's ever seen Daniel, worse than when he does his kata, because he's listening so goddamn intently. 

It brings red to Johnny's cheeks, and maybe the tip of his ears—then he's looking away from Daniel again because god, he's just too fucking pretty. How can anybody be that pretty?

Can you punch someone for being pretty? Johnny wonders if that's a thing, because he wants so badly to punch Daniel. But like, with his lips. On the mouth. What the fuck is he thinking? How gay can you be. 

...

All of a sudden, Daniel is laughing, all giggly and adorable, and he's doubled over, because he can't believe it, "Johnny. Johnny, you had to put Time After Time? Really?" He manages to say, nearly choking on his words. 

"What? It's a perfectly good song—don't look at me like that," Johnny scoffs, moving away but rolling his eyes lightheartedly, "I'm not all rock and roll."

"You cheesy bastard."

Johnny flicks him upside the head. 

"Ow! Hey, don't make me come over there." Daniel threatens, but it isn't threatening at all. It fills Johnny with warmth. He smiles, for the first time in a while.

He leans down, puts his finger under the idiot's chin, and kisses Daniel. Softly, but it's enough to make Daniel's knees buckle, and he wraps his arms around Johnny's neck. 

This is the happiest he's ever been. This is all he needs, all he wants, and he's so happy he has it — so happy it's finally in his grasp.

This is home.

** If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting. **

** Time after time, time after time. **


End file.
